GMHA has one of the top equestrian facilities in New England, situated in a beautiful, scenic location. Check out what we have to offer:
- Six barns (offering 155 permanent stalls)
- Temporary stabling areas (additional 65 stalls)
- Four rings with European Geo-Textile Footing
- Roger Maher Visitors Center
- Multiple grass riding areas
- Youth Center Meeting Room
- Snack Bar/Café & Food Truck Vendors
- Complete cross-country course, through Intermediate level
- Driving hazards and obstacles
- Two Unit Rental House
GMHA also owns a riding ring and trail head approximately 5 miles from our main facility. Learn more about the Rush Meadow Ring & Trail Head…
Major Improvements
GMHA’s buildings and grounds have undergone several rounds of improvements in the past five years. In 2008, GMHA completed a 2.5 million dollar Capital Campaign, resulting in a variety of construction and renovation projects across the facility.
On August 28, 2011, the GMHA grounds were seriously damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. Our barns and grounds have now been restored, thanks to the generosity of our many members and friends!
During the 2012 season, GMHA completed an extensive Cross-Country Upgrade Project. The project resulted in many new cross-country fences for all levels, along with improvements to the footing along the course.
In the Spring of 2013, GMHA completed a major Footing System Upgrade Project. All four rings (and the lunging circle) have European Geo-Textile footing, which improves the safety and performance of horses across the disciplines. This improvement puts GMHA’s footing on par with the top competition sites in the country.
Facility Details
Stabling: Six permanent barns (5 shed-row barns including the historic Upwey Barn) plus four temporary stabling areas for a total of 220 stalls. All stalls are 10 ‘x 10’ with rubber mats. Permanent stalls have drop-down window grates.
Four Rings with European Geo-Textile Footing: GMHA has four arenas with brand new, top of the line footing for our equine athletes. All of our rings are multi-purpose, and are used for jumping, dressage, and driving interchangeably. We are able to adjust our footing maintenance to provide the best possible conditions for all disciplines. The White and Walker Rings are both fenced, and large enough for a jump course, dressage ring, or driving cones course. The warm-up area for these two rings, known as the Dust Bowl (although no longer dusty!) is a large space, able to be divided in two or kept as one large schooling area. Our Upwey Ring, built in 2007, is by far our largest arena. The Upwey Ring can be configured to hold a jump course and warm-up; one large driving dressage ring and small warm-up area; two large or three small dressage rings with a warm-up space; or one very large schooling area!
Jump Field: Beyond the Walker Ring lies the Jump Field, one of GMHA’s most versatile spaces. This area is used most frequently as part of our cross-country course, but it is also home to our Hunter Derby course, many jump schools, driving cones courses and hazards, and the occasional dressage ring.
Cafe & Food Truck Service: GMHA’s Full Cheek Cafe and Food Truck Vendors are located in the center of our grounds, next door to the Youth Center building. They offer sandwiches, salads, soups, snacks, beverages, and more to our hungry competitors.
Youth Center: Our Youth Center building has a long history of hosting educational and recreational activities for equestrians of all ages. The building includes one large meeting room (used as a base of operations for event volunteers and officials, meals and banquets, seminars, and much more), permanent bathroom facilities, and a scorer’s room. The Youth Center has WiFi! Competitors and visitors are welcome to sit on the porch, relax, and catch up with the outside world.
Roger Maher Visitors Center: The Visitors Center is located in the front of the historic Upwey Barn. The center houses GMHA’s extensive historical archives, including many significant photos, publications, and memorabilia relating to GMHA’s own history and the development of horse sports in the US. At this time, the Visitors Center is open for special events and by appointment only. Please contact the office if you would like to explore this special place.
Pavilion: Attached to the Youth Center is our covered pavilion, which serves a variety of purposes. It is the base for the vetting in and judging of horses for our competitive trail and endurance events, home of temporary stalls for our large shows, and has been known to house social gatherings and exhibitions.
Cross-Country Course: GMHA’s extensive course winds through our grounds, through the many crossings of the Kedron Valley Brook, and across our fields, making the most of our 65 acres. We are lucky to have the use of Birch Hill Farm’s land for competition. We have jumps for Pre-Elementary through Intermediate competitors for both competition and schooling. Our course includes a mix of many portable jumps (sturdy jumps able to be moved to allow for variety) and permanent obstacles (water jumps, banks, ditches). Learn more about our cross-country upgrade via this link.
Driving Hazards: Our facility is home to the only Combined Driving Event in New England, which takes place in August each year. Our driving hazards are mostly temporary, with a few permanent obstacles. They are available for schooling following the event each year.
